Update REQUITE Study July 2016

REQUITE is an international project in the field of radiation oncology, funded by the European Commission’s FP7 HEALTH programme. A number of hospitals in France, Germany, the US, Italy, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands and the UK are taking part, recruiting patients who are receiving radiotherapy for breast, lung or prostate cancer. The purpose of this international study is to try to predict which patients are more likely to have unwanted side effects from radiotherapy. The information collected will allow researchers to thoroughly test models and biological markers for future use. If we are successful, then in the future we could identify the ‘radiosensitive’ patients before they start their radiotherapy and this may allow us to personalise treatment. This should reduce side effects for all patients, improve quality of life and potentially increase the number of patients successfully treated for their cancer.

We have now reached the half way point in our five year programme of work and we have:

Created an online database for the collection of standardised data, including patient reported outcomes;

Started to collect physics data, in particular radiation dose received by the tumour as well as normal tissue;

Stored >2,000 blood samples in the REQUITE Biobank at CIGMR, University of Manchester (UK). Research on these samples, including genetics analysis using the Oncoarray chip, will start in September 2016;

Published (or in press) three manuscripts in peer reviewed journals, and >25 oral or poster presentations at international conferences;

Approval for 10 associated REQUITE projects, allowing researchers to analyse and interrogate the REQUITE samples and dataset to answer additional research questions beyond the original scope of the project.

The REQUITE website (www.requite.eu) will also provide background to the study and up-to-date information on recruitment for both patients and the public alike. We are also active on Twitter – please follow us on @REQUITEproject.